Customizing Nursery Furniture

Baby furniture is fun to buy -- but it's even more fun to make yourself! No, we're not suggesting you buy some two-by-fours and a saw. But with a few pieces of unfinished furniture, some paint, and a little creativity, your child can have custom, mom-designed furniture. And so what if you're not exactly an artist -- these are simple techniques that anyone can do.

You'll need:

• Piece of unfinished furniture (step stool, tiny chair, child's desk, etc.) Make sure it's sturdy and well built.

• 80 grit sandpaper

• 180 grit sandpaper

• Inexpensive 1-inch foam brush

• Inexpensive 2-inch foam brush

• High-quality synthetic brush

• High-quality size 1 art brush (available at arts and crafts stores)

• Pencil

• High-quality knot sealer

• High-quality latex primer

• High-quality waterproof polyurethane sealer

• Latex paint with eggshell finish, in any colors (take a piece of fabric, wallpaper, or bedding to your paint store and have them match the colors for you, if you like)

• Small pots or tubes of acrylic paint

• Stencils

• Stamps and a stamp pad

• A dry sponge

• Damp cloth